The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015, are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 23, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Aimed at younger and less-than-enthusiastic readers, this gallery of North American dinos pairs high-wattage commentary—“Huge herds of giant, snorting creatures could have stomped right through your backyard!”—with naturalistic, sharply detailed headshots or full body views of about two dozen big, brightly colored examples. Brewster tucks in names and basic facts for each, adds side-glances at such high-interest topics as fossil poop and skin and closes (on a spread headed “WIPEOUT!”) with current thinking about why the dinosaurs died out. Young dino-nuts probably won’t mind that there’s no attempt at any real organization beyond leading with the most teeth possible. Featuring a digestible informational load, lots of teeth and an occasional glimpse of blood or drool for extra thrills, this people-pleasing plunge into prehistory will likely be read to shreds. (timeline, pronunciation guide, glossary, recommended reading, “Where to See Dinosaurs,” index, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 6-9)

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